Malawi Cholera Claims more lives

Malawi is still battling with a cholera attack that began when rainy season started in November this year. So far the disease has killed 25 people, and more than 693 others have been hospitalized across the country’s hospitals.

Cholera is an acute diarrhea infection which is caused by consuming contaminated food and water. In Malawi most of the people that are affected are children and adults, and if the disease is left untreated it can kill within hours. The number has risen so fast since first week of February when it was 420 from all the affected districts of Karonga, Nkhata-Bay, Salima , Dedza, Lilongwe, Blantyre, Dowa and Likoma.

Confirming the death toll, Ministry of Health spokesperson Joshua Malango said that so far my Ministry has registered the loss of 17 lives from all the districts. Malango however advised people to rush with their patients to hospital rather than wasting their time with witchcraft suspicions.

Malango further said that “our health workers have been advised to give priority to Cholera cases as we also\ advise Malawians to take caution on the occurrence which is believed to have been triggered by poor hygiene among residents especially those who leave in rural areas.”

The most areas hit by the disease are those along the lake shore because they use water directly from the lake, while others who are close to the rivers, they use water from the rivers and some are even using wells that are not covered.

Cholera Expert from Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre said that “We are putting measures to ensure the outbreak does not spread as you are aware that government has embarked on a nationwide campaign to remind people to wash their hands with soap, especially after using the toilet and before eating any food and to boil their drinking water. Apart from such campaigns, Government is also encouraging people to go for vaccines treatment while at the same time it is distributing chlorine and other chemicals to treat drinking water.

Previously Malawi had suffered its worst cholera outbreak in 2009, when 82 people died and more than 3,000 people were infected across the country.

…our health workers have been advised to give priority to Cholera cases as we also advise Malawians to take caution on the occurrence which is believed to have been triggered by poor hygiene among residents.